UN Security Council to Discuss on Gaza this Friday after Secretary-general Invokes Article 99

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The UN Security Council is expected to meet on Friday to discuss a ceasefire in Gaza after UN Secretary-General António Guterres invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter, a rare move formally urged the 15-member council to "use all of its influence" to prevent "a humanitarian catastrophe" in the besieged enclave.

Shortly after Guterres issued the letter, UAE and Russia announced on Thursday that they were calling for an emergency Security Council meeting on Friday at 10 a.m. local time.

The UAE later circulated a draft resolution to the other members of the Security Council that cites Guterres' letter and demands "an immediate humanitarian ceasefire."

"This is a moral and humanitarian imperative and we urge all countries to support the call of the Secretary-General," the UAE mission to the UN posted on X as quoted by Al Jazeera.

The draft resolution calls for all parties to the conflict to comply with their obligations under international law. 

The U.S., which has veto power on the Security Council, has repeatedly called on Israel to avoid civilian casualties and pressed the Israeli government to allow more aid into Gaza.

However, it has so far not called for a full ceasefire, saying Israel has a right to defend itself following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that reportedly killed at least 1,200 people in Israel.

Since then, Israel has killed more than 16,200 Palestinians, most of whom were women and children. Tens of thousands are severely wounded.

It is the first time Guterres has invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter since being appointed Secretary-General in 2017. The rule allows the UN leader to bring any matter he believes threatens "international peace and security" to the Security Council.

Guterres on Wednesday repeated his call for a "humanitarian ceasefire."

"We are facing a severe risk of collapse of the humanitarian system," Guterres wrote in his letter to the Security Council.

"The situation is fast deteriorating into a catastrophe with potentially irreversible implications for Palestinians as a whole and for peace and security in the region."

"Such an outcome must be avoided at all costs," he said. "I reiterate my appeal for a humanitarian ceasefire to be declared. This is urgent."

The already dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza significantly worsened since the end of the seven-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on Dec. 1, according to the UN Office for the Coordinationation of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

While dozens of aid trucks carrying humanitarian supplies and fuel have entered Gaza through Egypt since Tuesday, the "ability of the UN to receive incoming loads of aid has been significantly impaired over the past three days by several factors," including the shortage of trucks, the communications blackout, and the hostilities, OCHA said on Wednesday.

AXIOS | REUTERS

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